Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is promoting
the city's plan for addressing the health needs of the gay community,
Chicago
Phoenix reported.
“Chicago's strength is in the
diversity of its communities,” Emanuel said. “And I am committed
to ensuring all Chicagoans have access to the care and information
they need to live healthy lives and contribute fully to the vibrancy
of our city.”
The plan, developed by the Chicago
Department of Public Health (CDPH), is part of the city's Healthy
Chicago initiative.
The LGBT Community Action Plan unveiled
Friday targets 22 areas of health disparities.
“Chicagoans in communities across the
city face similar health concerns, but there are clear disparities in
health status among the city's diverse LGBT community that require
specific strategies to target and address these concerns,” said Dr.
Bechara Choucair, commissioner of the CDPH.
The plan identifies three major
priorities: promote the collection of sexual orientation data in
electronic medical records, improve the tracking of hate crimes
against transgender persons, and increase tobacco cessation efforts
in the LGBT community to address the high prevalence of smoking.
The city also wants to promote the
inclusion of gay couples in programs aimed at healthy pregnancies and
conduct outreach on strategies to avoid violence.